Not So Different After All
by PixieDustandFairyPowers
Summary: Steven makes an incredible discovery in Lion's mane! But will it be for better or for worse? (Canon up to Letters to Lars)
1. An Unbelievable Discovery

With key in hand, Steven knew it was time. The last of Rose's secrets. Taking a deep breath, he leaped into Lion's mane.

He crawled through the pale pink grass and up the hill as a cool breeze of unbreathable air rustled the leaves of Lion's tree. Steven glanced around at his mother's memorophilias- a slightly tattered flag, a Mr. Universe T-shirt, her sword, and an old photo of her and Greg. Whatever was in the mysterious chest, Steven knew it had to be important. He inserted the key and opened the chest.

To his surprise, it was a bubble with a gem inside of it. " _Why would mom lock a bubble inside of a chest, rather than leaving it out in the open like Bismuth?_ " Steven thought to himself. He squinted through the bubble, trying to get a closer look at it. However, he accidentally squeezed the bubble just a little too hard, and it popped.

He was taken aback, slightly fearful of what kind of gem would form. After all, if Rose decided that this gem was too dangerous to be left out in the open, who knows what unspeakable dangers this gem could bring?

Trying to lie low in the grass, Steven watched as the gem rose into the air and began to take shape. She had fluffy pink hair and a rather puffy looking outfit, complete with pom poms on her pink shoes. Steven accidentally let out some air in awe, disbelief and shock. There was only one gem that could be- Pink Diamond- but wasn't she shattered long ago?

She opened her eyes, and took in her surroundings, looking quite bewildered. "Where am I?" she asked, with a slight tone of fear. "Is anyone there? Am-am I dead?" Pink then looked in Steven's direction, and he jumped out of Lion's mane, startled and nearly out of breath.

Gasping for breath, he tried to process what he had just witnessed. "Pink- Pink Diamond's alive?" he exclaimed. "I mean, I had slight suspicions but I didn't think- I mean, she was right here the whole time? In Lion's mane?"

Steven had to get a closer look. He barely poked his head through Lion's mane, just enough so he could see her. Pink Diamond called out again, "Where did you go? I know I saw someone. Please, help me! I don't know where I am!"

Turning back to Lion, Steven was conflicted. "I know Garnet and Pearl always talked about how dangerous she was, how she tried to take over the world and destroy all life on the Earth. She kidnapped all those humans and took them into space. And I know that almost every Homeworld gem I met has tried to kill me at some point or another but… I can't just leave her there!" Lion only yawned. "You don't get it, do you Lion?" Steven said. "Mom must've locked in her there because she's too dangerous, and she fought against her for a thousand years, but I don't even know what to think anymore. Maybe she could give me some answers, maybe I could help her somehow…" He wanted to have hope, give every gem a chance, but almost every gem he tried to help betrayed him somehow. And yet again, his heart won out over his head. "I'm going to regret this," Steven said. Again he poked his head through Lion's mane.

"There you are," said Pink Diamond, looking down at him. "I don't know what's going on or where I am," She glanced down at her gem and said, "Am I dead? Is this some kind of gem afterlife? The last thing I remember was being ambushed…"

Steven shook his head.

"Well then, do you know how to get out of here? It feels so lonely…"

Steven held out his hand. Tentatively, she took it and he pulled her out of Lion's mane.

Pink was even more confused by her surroundings. "What is this place? Where did you get this lion? This _pink_ lion? Do you live here?"

"Well, yeah," said Steven. He couldn't help but stare at her in awe, he had so many questions too. "Pink Diamond. I-I didn't even realize you were here."

"You know who I am?" she asked.

"Well, yeah. I've heard… a lot of things about you."

"Oh, am I a legend now? I guess that makes sense. I am pretty important, after all," she said, boasting of her status. "By the way, thank you, you know, for getting me out of there, kid. What is your name?"

"Um, It's Steven. Steven Universe."

"Well, thanks again, Steven, for helping me out. I have so many questions right now, if you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, well, I do too! So uh, where should we start?"

However, they didn't get very far as the two were interrupted by the sound of the warp pad activating, with Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl returning from a mission.


	2. New Friends and Old Enemies

Pink stood there, paralyzed with shock. "N-no way," she whimpered. "Steven, protect me!" she cried as she tried to hide behind him. "T-those r-rebels are out for my shards!"

Pearl covered her mouth in fear and then exclaimed, "B-bu-but that's impossible! We destroyed her long ago!"

Garnet promptly summoned her gauntlets and her voice showed tones of aggression. "Get away from her, Steven! We'll handle this."

Nodding in agreement, Pearl summoned her spear as well. "We won't let her hurt you."

"Wait, wait, guys!" Steven interjected. "Can't we just talk this out? I know you guys have been through a lot of history, but you don't have to fight!"

"Uh, guys?" asked Amethyst. "Who's this?"

Pearl replied, "She's- she's-"

"Pink Diamond," Garnet said, marching towards her. "I don't know how you got here, but you WILL NOT, I repeat, you WILL NOT HURT MY STEVEN!"

"Woah, woah, woah," Amethyst said, confused. "Pink Diamond?"

"Well, obviously," Pink said. "I made you and all the other Amethysts in the Prime Kindergarten."

Garnet still refused to back down. "That doesn't matter. She still tried to exterminate all life on this planet. Gems, we need to form Alexandrite and take her down before she causes any further damage."

"Wait, Garnet, are you sure about this?" asked Amethyst. She summoned her whip curled up just in case. "I mean, I'm all for taking her down if she gives us too much trouble, but maybe we should hear Steven out on this one."

"Amethyst, you don't know what you're talking about," Garnet replied sternly. "Pink Diamond is a cruel dictator, there is no reasoning with her. We need to destroy her!"

"Well, maybe YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Amethyst shouted. "What do you know about her? It's not like you ever worked for her, she could have been the kindest leader for all I know!"

Pearl said, "Listen to yourself, Amethyst! It's just Homeworld's programming telling you otherwise! Fight it, Amethyst, you don't need to listen to anything making you subconsciously loyal to her!"

Amethyst lashed out at Pearl, enraged. "ARE YOU SAYING THAT I CAN'T MAKE DECISIONS FOR MYSELF? YOU KNOW WHAT, I NEVER GOT THE CHOICE AT ALL! I DIDN'T EMERGE UNTIL AFTER ALL THE HOMEWORLD GEMS LEFT!"

Pink Diamond gasped, trying to take this in. "They… left?" she wondered quietly.

"I just can't believe you," Pearl said. "After all this time, you're just going to betray us like that?"

"Hey, I never said that. All I was saying was that we should listen to Steven first," said Amethyst. "Steven, has she done anything to hurt you? 'Cuz if she has, I'm gonna whoop her butt!"

"No, she hasn't!" Steven said. "I just found her in Lion's mane, and she was so lost and confused. I think we should give her another chance."

"Forget it, Steven!" said Pink. "These _rebels_ clearly cannot be reasoned with! They just want to destroy gemkind and Homeworld's entire way of life! And they don't care about humans a single bit!"

"Steven," said Garnet. "I know you want to believe in everyone, but we fought her for a thousand years. She won't back down at any rate. All she's trying to do is lure you into a false sense of security. We have to destroy her."

"Please, Garnet, I'm begging you! Don't hurt her!" Steven cried, making puppy-dog eyes.

"Don't give me that look, Steven. I'm not falling for that."

"Hey, well I'm with Steve-o here, so if you want to hurt her, you'll have to get through me first," Amethyst said.

"But we can't just- we can't- she can't just stay here!" said Pearl. "I won't allow it!"

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened. Peridot stepped out, yawning. "Guys, what's with all the yelling? I was just experimenting with the human concept known as "napping" when the noise and ruckus disturbed me to an unbearable level!"

"Yo, Peri, we were just arguing over whether to let Pink here stay with us," Amethyst said.

"Woah, new roomate!?" Peridot exclaimed. "Of course she should stay with us! We can teach her so many of the impressive things about this planet!"

"Peridot, come on, you don't even live here," Pearl said matter-of-factly. "You just come in here from time to time to lounge around in the bathroom."

"Well, yeah, but after the last incident, I doubt Lapis would be so eager to have another roommate," Peridot said. "Besides, all of the gem tech is busted anyway, it's not like she can just rat us out to the Diamonds or escape back to Homeworld."

"Like you almost tried to do?"

"Welp, that settles it," Amethyst said. "She's staying with us, we outvoted you guys three to two!"

"Oh yeah, give it up for the Shorty Squad!" Peridot said enthusiastically.

The three of them hugged Pink tightly, but inside she felt dismayed. "Looks like I'm stuck here," she muttered sadly.


	3. Exploration and Hurt Feelings

Garnet and Pearl had no choice but to let Pink stay on Earth, but they still were at odds with her and didn't want to talk to Amethyst, Steven, and Peridot either. In the meantime, the three of them decided to take her around Beach City and they ended up in Funland.

"So which Amethyst are you, and how long have you been with, well, those rebels?" Pink asked, as they passed through the small crowds of people lining up for rides.

"Oh, I'm 8XM!" she replied enthusiastically. "I've actually been with the Crystal Gems for quite a long time, but it wasn't until recently that I met all those other Amethysts and Jaspers from the Kindergartens up in space!"

"Yeah, that was quite an adventure," Steven said.

"So they're okay?" Pink asked. "That's good to know." She turned to Peridot. "And you? Wait, are you actually part of the Crystal Gems?"

"Well, duh, of course I am," Peridot replied in confusion.

"Then why are you still wearing Yellow Diamond's insignia?"

"Oh, I-" Peridot started, blushing in embarrassment. "I just haven't felt like changing it, that's all."

After showing Pink around Funland, the Shorty Squad decided to relax on the beach near the boardwalk. The sun was hanging low in the sky, the light reflecting off the waves and lighting up the sky with gorgeous colors. Pink smiled slightly, she couldn't deny the beauty of the Earth. But she still felt so lost and out of place-she didn't belong with the Crystal Gems- not after everything she did, but she also couldn't go back to Homeworld. Even if she could somehow make it back- what could she do then? Obviously it had been quite a long time since she had been there, what would they say to her? How would she adjust?

"Hey Pink," Peridot said, snapping Pink out of her musings.

"Oh, yeah?" she replied.

"I've been thinking," she said, "You must've been an Era 1 gem, due to being around during the war. Judging by your attire, I'm assuming you were of some elite status. But the only thing I can't pin down is your gem type, which is peculiar considering that I'm a certified Kindergartener and technician. Were you one of some discontinued gem type after the war?"

Amethyst and Steven looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" Steven asked.

"Well, I've never seen a gem of her type before." Peridot turned back to Pink. "Though judging by your coloration I imagine you must've been one of Pink Diamond's court members."

Pink looked completely perplexed by her statement. "Peridot," she said, "You don't realize who I am? I'm not just any old elite! I AM PINK DIAMOND HERSELF, AND HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ME TO SOME SAPPHIRE OR MORGANITE!?"

Peridot stood there for a moment, and then burst out into a fit of laughter. "Hahaha, good one! That's the best joke I've heard in quite a while!"

Amethyst looked back at Pink, concerned. "Peridot, she's not joking," she said.

"Well obviously she must be," replied Peridot. "I mean come on, I wouldn't mistake you for some average run-of-the-mill gem, but to insist that you're the very Diamond whose demise has only persisted through rumors? There were rumors on Homeworld about her being shattered by Rose Quartz, but that's obviously ridiculous considering how impossible something like that would be. I find it highly improbable that Rose Quartz would have been able to successfully capture her and imprison her for thousands of years with no gem discovering the truth."

Peridot walked around and inspected Pink. "And you don't even look like a Diamond, either. Sure, your eyes share similarities with that of a Diamond's, but you're much too small! A real Diamond would be about, oh I don't know, five times your size?" She also leaned forward to inspect her gemstone. "And the facet of your gem is all wrong, a Diamond would have a proper, kite-shaped facet. Yours has five facets instead of four. Though come to think of it, upon closer inspection it appears to be that your gemstone does indeed seem to resemble that of latticed carbon, so perhaps you are correct about being a Diamond. But that would make you hyper-defective, which is something the Diamonds would certainly not allow in the Authority."

Pink Diamond grew furious, and shapeshifted to be gigantic. She grabbed Peridot and yelled, "WHO ARE YOU TO CALL ME DEFECTIVE! I AM NOT OFF COLORED! AND I AM JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ALL THE OTHER DIAMONDS IN THE AUTHORITY! I'LL SHOW YOU! I'M NOT WEAK! I- I-" she was cut off but the sheer pressure of trying to maintain a form so huge, even though it was only for a few moments. Sweating profusely, she accidentally dropped Peridot and was forcibly reverted back to her original size.

Embarrassed and upset, Pink Diamond ran off with tears in her eyes. Amethyst cast a disapproving look at Peridot while Steven looked over in dismay. "What?" she asked. "I was simply stating a fact, it doesn't make any sense for her to be the Pink Diamond."

Amethyst only said, "Peridot, remember when we were working on the drill and we went to the kindergarten for parts? You said very similar things back then to me that you are now saying to her." She walked off in the direction Pink had run to and glanced back at Peridot. "Just let that sink in for a moment."

Peridot stood there, speechless. She thought about it for a minute and immediately regretted everything she had said. "Oh, Steven," she said. "I really messed up, didn't I?"

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, you did. It's going to take some real serious effort if you want to get on her good side again. She only just got here." He glanced off to where Pink and Amethyst had gone, and told Peridot, "I need to go talk to them," and promptly left Peridot standing next to the Boardwalk, where Funland was about to close for the day.

* * *

Pink Diamond hadn't gone far, she had only reached the other side of town where the other beach was. Still crying, she peered at her reflection in the now calm waters of the ocean. Her tears fell into the water, causing ripples and distorting the reflection. It wasn't until the water had settled again that she noticed Amethyst and Steven were sitting next to her.

"Hey Pink," said Amethyst. "I'm really sorry about what Peri said back there."

"Yeah," Steven added. "She can unintentionally upset people sometimes. But she usually does mean well."

Pink sighed. "Well, she was correct. I am defective."

"That still doesn't mean she should just say things like that," Steven said. "Your feelings are important."

She nervously chuckled at herself. "I can't believe it. Usually I can hold that form for much longer. I suppose being bubbled for so long must've made me rusty, eh?"

Amethyst looked shocked. "They made you shapeshift like that for long periods of time!?"

"Yeah, well, only when there were other gems around," Pink replied. "With the exception of our Pearls, of course."

"Woah, I'm so sorry about that," Amethyst said. "I didn't realize you had it that bad."

"Really?" Pink asked. "I mean, I had all kinds of things that other gems didn't have, like my own personal Pearl, a palanquin, and a ship. And I was respected by everyone."

"That's not what I meant. I'm sorry that they didn't let you just be yourself. No one should have to live their life pretending that they're someone they're not."

"But that's all I ever wanted to be."

Amethyst wrapped her arm around Pink's shoulder. "I'm going to be real with you for a minute. I felt the same way you did. There was a gem named Jasper who kept putting me down, and all I ever wanted to do was prove myself and beat her. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it by myself. But then I realized that she had her own issues to deal with, and I didn't have to go it alone. Your real friends don't care how about how you look. They just care about you. And you don't have to look like what others expect you to look like. Just be yourself."

Pink looked at Steven, and then back to Amethyst with misty eyes. "Nobody's ever told me that before." She hugged the two of them tightly. "Thank you so much."

They both returned the embrace, and the three of them spent the rest of the evening in each other's company, enjoying the sun set and admiring the view.

* * *

A few days later, Peridot approached Pink Diamond. "Oh," Pink replied. "It's you."

"Pink Diamond, there's something I need to show you. And a few things I need to say."

Peridot led her out of the temple and out into the country, where Steven was waiting. He was standing next to something covered in a giant cloth.

Peridot said to Pink, "A few days ago, I said some rather hurtful things to you. I have now realized my mistake, and wish to make things up to you." She and Steven pulled off the cloth, revealing Pink Diamond's palanquin. But it was in a perfectly polished condition.

"As you can see, I have spent the last few days fixing this old thing of yours," Peridot said. "It took quite a while to get this thing all the way over here, as well as repair and polish it. You may have also noticed that I added some additions, like hidden missile launchers in case of an attack, and a few pillows so you can feel comfier and should you try and experiment with the human concept known as sleeping. I do hope you accept my apology."

Pink Diamond looked up at it, and then down as Peridot. "Wow, thank you so much! It really means a lot to me! And by the way, apology accepted."

Peridot grinned, and then hugged her. Pink fondly returned the embrace, with a sense that it was the start of a good friendship.


	4. Bonding and Video Games

KABOOM! With a few final blows, Steven won the last level of Lonely Arm IV. "Finally!" He said. "It took me forever to beat that level!"

"Can I try?" Pink asked.

Steven thought for a moment. "Well, this particular video game is a bit trickier than its predecessors. You might want to try the original Lonely Arm first. I'll show you some of the basic controls."

He agreed to play a multiplayer round, and let Pink pick a character and went easy on her. Not too surprisingly, she beat him in a matter of 15 or so seconds.

"Well that was way too easy," Pink said. "All I had to do was quickly press X over and over."

"You think it's easy now, do you?" Steven said. "Just wait until you get to the sequels. There's way more strategy than simple button mashing."

They continued to play video games for a little while afterwards, until Pink got bored. The Crystal Gems weren't around, and even if they were, Garnet and Pearl still didn't trust her at all. She wondered if Steven had any human relatives still around.

She asked, "Steven, I was curious, why do you live with the Crystal Gems? Don't you have any human family?"

"Oh, yeah, of course!" he replied. "My dad has a carwash just a short walk from the temple. And I spend a lot of time with my best friend, Connie! You should meet her sometime! And why I hang around with the Crystal Gems, well, that's quite a long story."

"I'm listening."

Steven looked uncomfortable. He really wanted to trust her, but he was still worried about what she might do if she knew the truth. "I don't know, Pink. I think you're really cool and all, and I want to trust you, but I'm still a bit intimidated. It's just, whenever I meet new gems, they often try to kill me because they blame me for everything wrong going on with the Crystal Gems."

Pink looked shocked. "Why would anyone want to hurt you? I mean, for being friends with those traitors, I'm just surprised you aren't the one trying to kill me. You're one of the nicest kids I've met."

"It's more complicated than you might think. All right, I'll tell you, but please, please try to hear me out."

"What are you so afraid of, Steven?"

"This." He lifted up his shirt to expose his Rose Quartz gemstone on his navel. Pink Diamond was quite shocked and taken aback.

"No way!" she said. "I know for sure that I bubbled all of my Rose Quartzes, so it would make it easier to capture the leader of the Rebellion, unless..."

"Oh boy," Steven said. "Here it comes."

"Oh my stars, you're the son of Rose Quartz, leader of the Rebellion, herself!"

"… wait, what?"

"I mean, I didn't even think such a thing was possible, but it makes so much sense now! She was always flirting and romancing with human men, but no way! And there's no other way you would've let me out of that bubble unless you were curious as to what was in there. Wow! Half gem, half human! I have like, so many questions right now!"

Steven was stunned. "I can't believe you understood. And I thought that you out of all gems would be out to kill me."

"But you clearly aren't her! She would never be that kind and considerate as you! I mean, I have to hand it to her, she was able to amass a large following of gems. But she still had no concern for our continued existence, and she sabotaged my first and only colony!"

Pink's expression quickly turned to concern. "Did that really happen though? Gems were out to kill you?"

"Yeah. It was mostly because they think I'm her and they think she shattered you, but there was one gem, a Crystal Gem in fact, who tried to kill me over a disagreement."

"I'm so sorry, Steven," she said. She then started to laugh and cry at the same time. "I can't believe it! You're the son of Rose Quartz, and I'm Pink Diamond, and we're actually friends! At least, we're not even trying to fight!"

"Life can be ironic sometimes, isn't it?"

"It sure is." She said. "But now I can't stop wondering, if you're half gem, do you need to eat and sleep as much as a regular human? Can you poof? Do you have all of Rose Quartz's abilities? Does being half human give you more abilities than a regular gem would have?"

"Okay, okay." Steven tried to answer her questions as best as he could, but it got a little exhausting when she kept asking a constant stream of questions, and he couldn't even finish a sentence before she asked another one. He was glad though, that he wasn't trying to defend himself from certain death and perhaps he could have someone to talk to who could understand him in a way no one else could.

* * *

 **Okay, this chapter is a bit short, but I needed Pink Diamond to get to the point where she realized Steven was half gem. Hopefully next chapter I'll have her meet Greg, and a very slight possibility of Connie. Later on I think I'll have her go on a mission with the Crystal Gems. Suggestions would be nice, and if you have seen the newest Steven Universe episodes (Can't Go Back/A Single Pale Rose) then please no spoilers!**


	5. Meeting Greg

Pink Diamond was too anxious to sleep that night. Sure, gems didn't need to, but it had always been a slight quirk of hers once she discovered what it was. It was pure bliss to just slip away into unawareness, taking a break from all the stress life entailed. But there was just too much on her mind. How would she get answers on Rose Quartz? Steven clearly couldn't know because Rose had given up her physical form so he could exist. Garnet and Pearl were unwilling to talk and Pink wanted nothing to do with them. She could talk to Amethyst, but it was unlikely that she could give her answers as to why Rose would keep her trapped in a bubble for so long.

The thought made Pink shift anxiously on the couch. Rose had betrayed her, but how could she be so cruel as to bubble her, most likely for eternity had Steven not found her, and let everyone believe that she had died? She almost wished she had been shattered instead, at least then her adversary would not have been a coward who lived by lies and deception. Or why couldn't Rose simply banish her?

And why would Rose betray her like that? She had been a good leader, hadn't she? She wasn't nearly as harsh to her subjects as Yellow or even Blue were. And it wasn't like she had no concern for humans, either- she was going to make things better for everyone! But no, Rose just had to go and ruin everything she had worked for!

Her thoughts turned to Peridot and what she said about the rumors on Homeworld. Her mere existence, reduced to rumors! Pink Diamond began to tear up. "Was I really not important at all, to anyone? I'm going to be forgotten by everyone, or even worse- I'm just going to go down in history as the biggest failure ever!"

She didn't know what to do with her life now. She had Steven, Peridot, and Amethyst, but she had lost everything she had. But it would still be devoid with purpose and meaning. Her friends seemed happy with where they were at, but they had no direction and Pink wondered how they were able to live without a role to fulfill, like you had on Homeworld.

Pink wanted to take her mind off these things, but they continued to plague her mind and she didn't know how to deal with her problems. She wondered if she should wake up Steven. But she decided against it, he was just so calm and peaceful when he was sleeping, and she didn't want to disturb him and burden him with her problems.

So she decided to get some fresh air and walk outside to see if she could clear her mind. The air was cool, and the waves rolled softly against the beach. It was calming, but then she gazed at the sky, which was clear tonight and all the stars were out. It only made her feel worse because of how homesick she felt. She was stranded on her failed colony and would never be able to go home. Pink recalled how Blue Diamond would tell her stories of the amazing worlds she visited, and how she begged her to take her on her visits. And how she would watch Yellow for hours on end commanding armies and fleets. And all those times where White would mentor her, giving incredibly boring lectures on how to lead properly. Pink missed even those boring lessons now.

As she walked around town, she noticed one person who was still awake. He was trying to tinker with some strange looking contraption with four rounded things. It had a strange looking logo on it with a space theme. "Aw, man," he said. "I'm never going to fix the van by tomorrow at this pace! And I was going to take Steven on a surprise road trip tomorrow!"

"You know Steven?" Pink asked.

"Well, of course!" The man replied. "He's my son! And pretty much everyone knows everyone else in this town, it's actually pretty small compared to most other places."

"I'm new here," said Pink. "Well, sort of. And did you say you were Steven's dad?"

"Yeah, I'm Mr. Universe! But you can just call me Greg."

"So then, you must've known Rose Quartz."

Greg had a slightly sad expression on his face. "Yeah, she was one of the most amazing people I've ever met."

Pink turned away. "Well, that's not how I see it. She did a lot of awful things to me."

"Hey, you wanna talk about it?" Greg asked. "It doesn't look like I can fix the van right now anyway."

"Okay, sure," Pink sighed. She sat down next to Greg on the back of his van. "I mean, Garnet and Pearl won't talk to me about it. I wouldn't want to talk to them either, they absolutely hate me!"

"They do?"

"Well, duh! They fought against me for a thousand years and upon being discovered by Steven, they wanted to shatter me!"

Greg looked slightly surprised. "So then you're a Homeworld gem? Huh. I'm surprised that you're willing to talk to me about Rose Quartz, I'm just a human and I really don't know much about gem stuff."

"Well, what do you know?"

"Look, I'll admit she did want to tell me about her past. Rose had a lot of regrets, but I didn't want to pry too deeply. I told her that the past was the past, it didn't have to define who she was. I knew her as an incredibly loving being, but I get it. I know from experience that it can be hard to let go of the past."

"But what I still don't understand is why," Pink admitted. "I never did anything to her, and then she just decides to go off and betray me! And if starting a war wasn't bad enough, she just went and locked me away in a secret chest for what she probably intended to be for eternity!"

"Wait, hold on," said Greg. "You're not- there's no way- Pink Diamond!?"

She replied, "Yep, that's me all right! I created her and all the other Rose Quartzes in existence. What did she say about me?"

He was absolutely shocked. "I-I can't believe it! I mean, yeah, I'll admit I really don't know the specifics, but the way she spoke about you, I thought Rose had, well, shattered you."

"So she even lied to you then," Pink said, dismayed.

"Well, not exactly," Greg told her. "The way she spoke about you, it really seemed like she had done something terrible that resulted in your end. That and your abandoned palanquin, it really seemed like you were gone. I don't exactly agree with all of her choices, if I'm going to be honest. Everyone makes mistakes when they're young. But I don't think she hated you or anything like that. She told me that she had to rebel to save humanity and she didn't see any other choice."

"But that's where she's wrong!" Pink Diamond exclaimed. "I wasn't trying to destroy your species, I was trying to help you! Back when I first discovered this planet, you had been hunting and gathering, a very disorganized and primitive way. But learning more about you guys, I figured there was so much us gems and humans could learn from each other! I wanted to show you guys a life much happier and closer to ours! Then maybe I could prove that organic creatures weren't useless after all... But I guess it never could come to pass..."

"Woah, I had no idea," Greg said. "I mean, that actually makes sense! Look, I'm sure you had good intentions. I don't blame you for what you did. I think Rose just didn't see eye to eye with you. She didn't just want to survive- she wanted to be free- she didn't want to stay the same her whole life."

"But why wouldn't you want that? There are few surprises, few uncertainties, and you have meaning! I just can't imagine living with no direction, no purpose..."

Greg chuckled slightly. "Heh, one of life's biggest questions. Look, I don't have all the answers. It might take you a while to find what you're looking for. Just know that if you ever need someone to talk to, you can always come to me, I'd be willing to listen and give whatever advice I can."

Pink smiled at him. "I'd appreciate that," she said.

Greg yawned loudly. "Goodness, I stayed up far too long! I'd better get some shut eye. See you later, Your Highness," he said.

Pink Diamond decided to walk back to her palanquin this time, parked next to Steven's house. While she still had lots of doubts and questions, talking to Greg did make her feel much better. This time, she was finally able to get some well-deserved rest.

* * *

 **I think next chapter I'll have Pink Diamond go on a road trip with Steven, Greg, and Connie. After that, should the next adventure be a trip to see Lars and the Off Colors or a mission with the Crystal Gems? I'm still trying to figure out the best order for this, because this fic is more focused on character development than strict action and plot.**


	6. Meeting Connie

**Guys, a quick update:**

 **Yes, I know my story has been contradicted by the canon now. I'm actually not upset. I actually wrote this fanfic as a way to get my ideas out there in case I was contradicted by canon. So I'm going to continue this as an AU.**

* * *

Steven quickly got up the next day. It was his scheduled sword practice training with Pearl, and Connie was going to arrive shortly. To his surprise, his dad came in and announced, "Hey Steven, wanna go on a road trip? I don't really have anything to do today, so I figured 'Hey, why not spend some time with my son?'"

"Dad, we're having sword training today with Pearl," Steven said.

"Oh, okay then," Greg said, somewhat dismayed.

"It's okay!" Steven said. "Maybe I can just call Pearl and ask her to postpone practice." He quickly got out his phone and texted her about it.

After a few moments, Steven said, "Pearl says it's okay! So where are we headed?"

Just then, Connie ran through the door, with Rose's sword on her back. "Hey Steven, ready for sword practice?"

"Oh..." Steven said. "In my excitement to spend more time with my dad, I think I may have accidentally asked Pearl to postpone practice."

"That's okay! So what were you going to do?"

"Eh, I was just thinking about going on a little road trip. You're welcome to join us if it's okay with your parents," said Greg.

Connie brightened up. "I'd love to, Mr. Universe!" She sent a text to her mom and waited for her response.

Steven said, "Oh, Connie, by the way, there's someone I'd like you to meet. Dad, is it okay if I bring one more?"

"Oh, all right, but just so you know, the van's broken down, so we'll have to take the Dondai," he said. "It might get a bit crowed with four people."

Steven walked outside with Connie to where Pink Diamond's palanquin was. "Just wait over here," he told her. He wasn't sure if he should knock, because there wasn't really a door. "Hey, Pink? You in here?"

"Wait, Steven?" Said Connie, slowly drawing her sword. "You don't mean to say-"

"Connie, don't!" Steven shouted.

Stretching and yawning, Pink Diamond sat up slowly, her hair in a tangled mess. "Hi Steven-OHMYSTARSWHOISTHAT!?" She yelped, noticing Rose's sword. She fumbled with the controls in her palanquin. "Stars, where did Peridot install those missile launchers!?"

"Guys, calm down!" Steven exclaimed. "Connie, put away your sword! And Pink Diamond, we don't need missile launchers!"

Connie was still hesitant to do so. "Pink Diamond, how? What? You're still alive? Steven, what's going on?"

"Connie," began Steven. "This was who I wanted to introduce to you. I discovered her in Lion's mane a while ago and we're friends now."

"But Steven, are you sure we can trust her?"

"Well, she didn't try and kill me when I showed her my gem. Pretty sure that's a good sign."

"Okay then," she said, and put her sword back in its scabbard. "I trust you."

"Steven, I don't know about this," Pink Diamond said, still with a hint of fear in her eyes. "Some of your friends are kind, but she seems rather quick to react violently."

"I'm sorry about that. Let me start over," said Connie. "I am Connie Maheswaren, and it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Lustrousness," she said, finishing with a polite bow and doing the diamond salute. She whispered to Steven, "Did I do it right?"

"I'm impressed," Pink said. "How did you learn that?"

"Oh, Steven may have mentioned it at some point," Connie said. "But I'm glad I could put that into practice, it's not every day that you get to meet gem royalty. I have so many questions!"

Greg came out of the house and called out, "Hey kids, we're going to leave soon! You'd better get your stuff together!"

"Speaking of which, we're going on a road trip with my dad," said Steven. "Wanna come with us? There's so much we can show you outside of Beach City! The Earth is always changing, you just have to experience it for yourself!"

"Wow, really?" Pink grinned. "Oh my stars, this is so exciting!" She promptly ran off, excited at the prospect of learning new things about the planet that she loved so much.

Connie looked at Steven. "Well, I guess she really hasn't changed that much. Maybe that's actually a good thing."

* * *

 **I was going to make this chapter longer but I think I'll just post a part of what I've already written for now. I'm actually thinking more about canon speculation that I forget to continue on this fic!**


	7. Road Trip

A half hour later, they were on the road and crowded into the Dondai Supremo. Steven and Connie were both excited now, but Pink's had died down slightly.

"Ugh, why couldn't we just take the palanquin?" Pink complained. "It's so much roomier and comfortable, I can't even stand up in here! Plus it's much, much faster than any of this human tech, which is impressive for your species, but it still doesn't remotely compare to even ancient gem tech."

"Eh, your ride might be a bit too fancy," Greg said. "We don't want to stand out from the other traffic."

"It'll be fun!" Steven said. "We can play I spy on the way!"

Pink Diamond was intrigued by Steven's suggestion, but the game quickly became boring and the journey tedious and long. She ended up dozing off due to utter boredom.

* * *

After what seemed like forever, they finally arrived at their destination. Greg had decided to take the three of them to a planetarium on the outskirts of Empire City. He knew how much the kids loved space and going on adventures, but still he worried about their safety. So, he figured, why not have them experience space from the safety of the Earth?

Steven and Connie were having a blast. They quickly ran from place to place, admiring all the displays and discussing some of the more interesting aspects of the stars and planets.

"You know, for all the time we were out there, doing rescue missions and fighting for survival, we never got to truly admire the beauty of it all," said Steven.

"Agreed," replied Connie. "I mean, all that stuff is fun and important, and I have been training for that, but it would be nice to just see it just for the pleasure of it."

"Well, I got my fair share of it back before the war and stuff," Pink Diamond said. "Since the Earth was my first colony, I didn't have much do back then. So I'd just spend whatever time I had tagging along with Blue and Yellow, and sometimes I would just go off and do my own thing. But on some rare occasions when they didn't have royal duties, we would actually go to places that had so much wonder. I still remember the first time that Blue took me to see a star explode. It was so wonderful and sad all at the same time. It made me realize, that nothing... well, not even stars, can last forever..." Her eyes got slightly misty at the thought.

"Hey, Pink?" Steven asked. "Are you okay?"

"What?" she asked, somewhat startled. "Yeah, of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be?"

Greg came running over to the three of them. "Hey kids, guess what? They're starting a show a little ways a way in a few minutes! You should come and see this, this ought to be spectacular!"

* * *

The four of them took their seats just as the show was starting. The presenters showed some of the most incredible displays of far away planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. For some reason, Pink was reminded of how White would constantly lecture her on gemkind and how boring it seemed at the time. Now those lessons didn't seem so boring anymore, and she started to miss them. A few tears escaped from her eyes at the thought.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Steven. "I understand if you-"

"No, no, it's fine. Just enthralled by the display, that's all," she said nervously.

* * *

After the show was over, Greg decided that there were still a few things left to do. It turned out that this planetarium had some rather powerful telescopes through which to view the cosmos.

Connie asked Pink, "Hey, I was wondering, which one is Homeworld?"

Pink Diamond replied, "Oh, it's actually in another galaxy. Here," she adjusted the lens as best she could. As advanced as Earth tech had gotten, it was still nothing compared to Homeworld's. "She pointed out a large red star. "It's this one."

"Woah," Connie said. "And to think, it takes light millions of years to get all the way to Earth! We're looking at what happened in the past..."

Steven then looked through the telescope, doing some more adjustments and made a remarkable discovery. "Oh my gosh, Connie!" he said. "Is that the jungle moon we were stranded on?"

Connie peered into it and said, "Yes, you're right! And it looks from here like the planet wasn't even destroyed. Time really flies, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah," Steven said. "Pink Diamond, you were there too, right?"

"What are you talking about?" She said. She looked into the telescope, and then gasped. It was the place where she had constantly begged and pleaded Yellow Diamond to have her own colony or at least help out with the colonization efforts. Yellow had always turned down her demands, saying that she wasn't ready. Pink couldn't help but weep heavily at the thought. "She was right," sobbed Pink. "What was I thinking? I wasn't prepared for that kind of responsibility, I just wanted... I just wanted... I rushed into this so fast, and now I'm a complete failure! And now I can never go home! I'll never see them again!" Pink collapsed to the ground and wept into her arms.

"Pink, you have to tell us what's wrong!" Steven finally said. "I know something has been bothering you this whole time. Why can't you tell us?"

"Okay fine!" She admitted. "I miss them! I miss the other Diamonds so much!" She looked down at herself, not wanting to look Steven and Connie in the eyes. "I know you keep talking about how beautiful the Earth is, and I love this planet and I want to be happy here, but I'm just so homesick! I miss all those times where Blue would show me around the universe! I miss all those boring lessons and training that Yellow and White would give me about being a leader! Even when we had all those dumb arguments! And when Peridot talked about I was relegated to rumors on Homeworld, I realized that they have probably forgotten all about me!"

Steven sat down next to Pink and wrapped his arm around her. "It's okay. I get it. Space is where you came from, and where all your friends were. It's okay to miss your home."

Connie sat down too. "Do you really think so? Do you really think everyone has forgotten about you?"

"Why else would I be a mere rumor?" Pink said, burying her head in her arms.

Greg came over as well and sympathized with her. "Look, I don't know much about the past, or about Homeworld. But what I do know is that the people you were close to would never forget you."

Steven agreed. "Yeah. Trust me, the Diamonds haven't forgotten you at all. They miss you too, very much. They don't know how to move on."

"Still," she said. "Even if what you say is true, how can I go back after failing so much? How can I even go back at all?"

"I'm sure they would understand," Connie said. "Even if they are intergalactic tyrants, they still love you. And maybe the next time the Homeworld gems come back, maybe we can all turn ourselves in."

Steven nodded. "Yeah, they've all been coming back so frequently, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a Homeworld ship headed this way right now trying to destroy all of us!" He and Connie both laughed.

Greg, however, looked rather uncomfortable. "Yeah, I don't know about you kids surrendering yourselves to Homeworld again. That really scared me when you did that, Steven." But to lighten the conversation, he said, "You know what though? It's really nice out here, but I think it's time we headed home for real. By that I mean Beach City."

Now everyone was laughing, and the four headed back to the Dondai Supremo and drove off into the night.

* * *

 **I don't know if this will be as good as the last chapters. I feel like I might be losing inspiration to write this story because I'm loving what they're doing with the canon even more now and I'm more interested in what will happen in the show as opposed to any AU ideas. But I do want to write as much as I can because I did spend a lot of time thinking about this story and I think the next chapter will be about Pink going on a mission with the Crystal Gems.**


	8. Info Regarding the future

**I have some news regarding the future of this story that some of you might find disappointing. I don't think I want to continue writing it. Thing is, I've kinda lost inspiration to continue after the new episodes came out. I'm far more interested in the possibilities of what could happen as a result of Rose being Pink Diamond now than if they were separate characters. This was really just to get my ideas out there in case of canon contradictions, but they're just not as interesting to me anymore.**

 **But don't worry, hope is not lost. I think I'm going to put this fanfiction up for adoption. And I still have ideas that I can give to you as to where I was planning to take the story. If anyone is interested in continuing this, PM me and we can work out the details. If someone decides to adopt it then I'll post one more notice for you guys.**


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